VR and Anger Management: Does it work?

By Reed Richards

     Virtual reality has been a constant good in society since its conception. It’s made many advancements, culminating in the best wireless VR we have:the Oculus quest 3 by Meta. VR can help with a multitude of things and allows immersive and almost real experiences that are completely fictional. This technology allows for a higher amount of human interaction and expression in gaming and makes  dreams closer and closer to becoming real. 

     VR games can be very physical and demanding with their movements with games like Beat Saber being taxing at a higher level. I know from personal experience that doing too many expert songs can make your arms sore for days. This discovery led me to think about how Vr can be used for health benefits, perhaps even mental health benefits. Why not use it for things like anger management?

     If you’re like me, things can really wind you up and make you irrationally angry. Now, there are many ways to remedy this but not all of them are healthy, and a lot of people don’t have an outlet to responsibly let out their pent up anger. VR can be a good way to get your energy out and feel better. Hitting things in an environment that’s not real is like a rage room, but the best part is  you only pay one time for the VR set and a game like Gorn, Blade and Sorcery, or some boxing game. Breaking things in the fake world is a lot of fun. I have played a lot of Blade and Sorcery recently, which is this medieval fighting game. While the things you can do are a bit extreme, it produces a cathartic experience.

     Now, this isn’t just me blabbering about the joys of harming NPCs, there is real scientific evidence that links video games, and in this case VR games, with reduced stress and anxiety. You might be thinking that playing violent games makes the people that play them violent, as well. Though there is a large amount of research that suggests that, there is a debate on how it translates into real world behavior. Studies have shown that in teenagers that play violent games there is a negligible difference in behavior—if any at all. 

     So why you may want to consider such research before deciding to play these games, you should also consider that research shows that playing with friends is linked to reduced stress and anxiety.VR games can be cooperative, and you can do silly things with friends in games like Rec Room and VR chat. Video games and especially VR games are great de-stressers, making them a potential way to solve anger issues.